


Aftermagic

by Rycalla



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Celes can be kind of a slut, Children, Depression, Dogs, Forced Abortion, Illiteracy, Immediately post canon at first but progresses, Marriage, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, Shadow got killed on the Floating continent in this, Teenage Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-16 09:38:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11826024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rycalla/pseuds/Rycalla
Summary: Starting directly after the defeat of Kefka, the survivors have to come to terms with the new world without magic. And Celes and Terra have to come to terms with their own lives without the Empire.This will be pretty disturbing at times, so rating may change. More tags to be added as I think of them.





	1. Chapter 1

Terra stared over the railing of the Falcon, watching the world renew itself. She didn’t realize it would happen so fast, but the way it had deteriorated over the last year maybe it was just the way things were.  
The young woman was depressed. She already missed her magic. She had been born with it, it had always made her special. Even though Leo and Celes carried magic in them they weren’t like her. They were enhanced humans while she was half Esper, the only half-Esper ever known to have existed. Now she was just a normal woman. She didn’t know how she was going to deal with it. All she knew how to do was take care of kids, and she didn’t know how she’d be able to teach them all they needed to know. There was so much she could never teach; she was illiterate and knew little but magic.  
Celes was nearby, and she appeared to be deep in thought too, or maybe she was just bored. Terra didn’t understand. She’d think the older girl would be happy. She was free. Nobody would try to kill her or breed her or whatever it was the Empire wanted from her. She, like Terra, could do whatever she wanted with herself. Her problem was that unlike Terra she had no idea what she wanted to do with herself. She was a warrior, it was what she had been bred for.  
“Are you okay?” Terra asked.  
“I don’t know how you have this life thing figured out so well,” Celes said, looking at Terra and leaning on the railing.  
“What are you talking about? I don’t know anything.”  
“You know what you want to do with yourself at least. You have all those kids. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself.”   
“I can’t teach half the things the kids will need to learn and I still want to understand love. Some of that I’ve learned from the kids. I mean, I love them, but I don’t know all of it. Can you tell me? I know you and Locke are, as Edgar put it, ‘an item’, so you must know about love,” Terra said.  
“I don’t know anything about love. I know about sex, but that’s only part of it. I might have loved Leo when I was in the army, I’m not sure. And yes, I do love Locke but…maybe it just happens. That’s how it seems with us. He was originally simply my ticket out of getting killed, I didn’t expect to develop feelings for him. I don’t know why or how it happened. I’m not all wise or anything, Terra. I’m not much older than you, and my experience is more into fighting,” Celes said.  
“I’m thinking maybe if I got married my husband could teach the kids what I can’t, but I can’t get married unless I’m in love. All I know is how I feel for the children. I do love them, but that’s a lot different than being in a relationship with someone,” Terra said.  
“I realize that. Sorry Terra, but I think I’m going in for a while, I’m tired. Maybe think about what I’m going to do with my life a little more. Maybe have a nap. Tell Locke if he wants to see me. Maybe he can help me figure out a plan,” Celes said, yawning. “Maybe I should just pick up Cid and move out to Jidoor and become a diva…” She left, leaving Terra alone again.  
Well, Terra wasn’t completely alone. Relm and Gau were off to a side. The wild boy was wrestling with Interceptor the dog and Relm was drawing and making sure the dog or the boy didn’t get hurt (the dog had been hers since Shadow had died on the Floating Continent). The men were playing cards, probably just because there was nothing else to do at the moment.  
“Full house Edgar. I win,” Setzer said.  
“You always win. You must be cheating,” Edgar complained.  
“You know what you bet. One dare, and I’ve got a good one,” Setzer said. He went and whispered something in Edgar’s ear.   
“I knew I should’ve quit when I ran out of gil,” Edgar said, getting up and going over to Terra.  
“What are you doing? Don’t touch me!” Terra asked. She didn’t like where she was sure this was going, moving away from the railing and backing off.  
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Edgar said. Terra backed against the wall, wishing she still had her magic. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she wished she could at least cast Stop…and maybe Fira some sense into Setzer. Backed into the wall though she was, she couldn’t escape.  
Edgar embraced her, “You know, if you ever want to come out to Figaro to visit, or even to live there, you’re perfectly welcome to. Bring the kids, there’s lots of space,” he whispered. Terra grinned at him. Then she brought her knee up hard and hit him right in the groin. Edgar fell over. Locke and Sabin laughed like hyenas.  
“I told you not to touch me!” Terra yelled.  
“I deserved that,” Edgar whined.  
“You’ve deserved that for a long time now, brother. Terra, you’re great. No other woman has been brave enough to do that,” Sabin said.  
“You’re saying that now, Sabin. I still need to father heirs someday. If I can’t, it has to be you, and I don’t see you getting married any time soon,” Edgar complained.  
“Gau, stop biting him!” Relm yelled, Interceptor yelping in pain.  
“Terra, you are a riot,” Locke said. “Where has Celes gotten off to? She would’ve found that pretty hilarious too. She’s gonna be sorry she missed it.”  
“She said she was tired and was gonna try to take a nap, but if you wanted to go to her it was fine,” Terra said.  
“Well, if she’s sleeping I wouldn’t want to bother her,” Locke said.  
“She just went in, I don’t think she could possibly be asleep yet. Particularly with all that’s been going on. Besides, she loves you. Just go in and be with her. You can help her decide what to do now that she’s free of the Empire,” Terra said.  
“For someone who doesn’t understand love you sure seem to have a lot of advice for me with my girlfriend,” Locke said.  
“No, it’s just what Celes told me.”  
“You’re very lucky to have Celes, don’t you dare disappoint her,” Setzer added. It was no secret he was in love with the blonde woman too.  
“Hey guys? Does anyone have a bandage? Gau bit Interceptor pretty hard and he’s bleeding,” Relm said.  
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Locke went in while the others were trying to trying to help Relm tend to her wounded Doberman. He really hoped Celes wasn’t asleep, he didn’t want to wake her up.  
The treasure hunter knocked on the door to the back room. That was the most likely place his girlfriend would be since there was a couch in there where she could sleep.  
“It’s fine, you can come in,” Celes called.   
Locke entered to find the blonde laying on her back on the couch, hugging a pillow to herself. She was clearly very upset.  
“I’m glad you’re awake, I don’t know what I’d do if you had been asleep,” Locke said.  
“I wasn’t really going to sleep. I have too much to think about, I just didn’t want to talk about it anymore with Terra. She doesn’t need to be burdened by my problems. I really am happy Kefka is gone, that the Empire is gone. I just wish it could’ve happened sooner,” Celes said.  
“Whatever you decide, I’ll be there for you,” Locke said.  
“I know! Let’s get married and live in Jidoor! We can get Granddad, and find ourselves a place. I could be a diva!” Celes exclaimed.  
“You’re a general, not an opera twit,” Locke joked.  
Celes sighed. “I’m nothing anymore. Ever since I spoke out against poisoning Doma I’ve been nothing. I’m supposed to be dead. I’m amazed they even held me where you found me. Usually they just killed any traitor outright then and there. When I was young, I was constantly told how valuable Terra and I were to Gestahl. I know little else but magic, and even that is gone. I never expected to be able to live a normal life. And with you. When I was with the Empire I was convinced I’d end up with Leo, probably forced to have a bunch of magic babies until I became useless and broken and eventually executed anyway. I’ve never been normal, I never knew my parents. Cid says he has no idea who my father was, and that my mother died giving birth to me like Edgar and Sabin’s. I am what I was bred to be,” she said, curling up in a ball. Locke sat down next to her and stroked her side. In the time he had known her, she had never seemed so vulnerable, even when he had first found her chained in a basement in South Figaro awaiting execution.  
“Let’s forget about the Empire. We can talk about what you suggested before. I think it’s a great idea. Setzer is the captain of this airship, he could legally marry us,” Locke whispered.  
“I can’t forget, and I will never forgive. I despised Kefka even before he did all this. He terrorized me as long as I can remember. We avenged many. We avenged Leo, and we avenged me. Locke, I’m going to tell you something I have never told anyone else. It’s a very difficult subject, and you are never to repeat it to anyone else…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was real depressing to write. It's really intense and I had trouble writing it. And it's much more depressing imagining Cele's theme in the background.

Celes got up and started pacing. “I have never told anybody else about this. The Empire and Leo knew, because they were all part of it, but nobody else does. Not even Terra, and she was around most of the time. And it’s a really hard story to tell. Don’t be surprised if I break down several times during, it’s nothing I’ll ever get over,” she said.  
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. I love you,” Locke said.  
Celes sighed. “This happened several years ago. I was only fifteen and rising in the army, and I became sexually active. Mostly with Leo, but when I felt like it I would sometimes sleep with one of the other soldiers. And within a few months of doing it I ended up pregnant. It was Leo’s, he was the only one I let finish inside me. We tried to keep it quiet, because we knew bad things would happen if Kefka or Gestahl found out before we could figure out what to do. Cid used to warn me the Empire wanted me as a broodmare to produce magic-users and I was pretty much playing right into their hands.  
“We kept it secret until about five months in. I was showing, though Leo tried to keep me out of sight from the other soldiers. I was out of battle, naturally. Well, Kefka caught me. And the way he was, he was determined to destroy me. He always did things like that. He went and told Gestahl, and he also decided that it wasn’t Leo’s and that it was from with some common soldier so it wouldn’t be worth keeping around. I mean, you know I was specially bred and everything, so Gestahl would only want anything from me if it were from Leo or Kefka,” Celes said. She stopped and started to cry. Locke sat still and didn’t say anything, giving her a minute to collect herself.  
Once Celes had calmed down, Locke said “You don’t have to finish if you don’t want. I don’t like seeing you so upset.”  
Celes shook her head. “No, I’m okay. What’s worse, Gestahl believed him no matter what I said. Well, once Leo heard what Kefka was doing, he fought it. He did everything he could to defend us. He knew it was his child, he knew Kefka was just picking on me because it was what he did. Gestahl wouldn’t listen to me or Leo, he listened to Kefka, and he ordered me to terminate the pregnancy.  
“Naturally, I refused and went to Cid. He tried to get me out of Vector, but that wasn’t going to happen. Kefka caught me again and put me under a sleep spell so I couldn’t get away and in the end Cid was forced to operate on me himself under threat of death. When I woke up…it was horrible. My daughter was in pieces. Grandad was crying too. And there was no doubt she was Leo’s. Yes, her head had been torn off, but she still looked like him. I named her Cynthia. I think about it all the time. There is no unseeing something like that, and that may be why I threw myself into battle so hard. So I wouldn’t have to think about it. All because of that pathetic clown and his irrational hatred of everyone and everything!” Celes finished, punching the wall.  
“He finally got what he deserved. Come here,” Locke said. Celes went and sat back down, Locke cuddling her, rubbing her back.  
“There’s more. Afterward, Gestahl tried to get me to conceive again, this time definitely to Leo. It wouldn’t work, even after being artificially inseminated five or six times. I might be barren,” Celes said.  
“So we’re not going to be able to have a family,” Locke said.  
“We could always do what Terra does and find some war orphans if we want kids that bad but it’s okay. I’m not so into kids, if you know what I mean. I never really had any communication with any besides Relm and Gau. I don’t know anything about them, and I’m just young myself. Not to mention my pregnancy was not at all pleasant.”  
“That’s because stupid demonic Kefka was involved,” Locke said.  
“I still would like to marry you though. And…there are other things I would like to do with you. Right now,” Celes said, turning around and facing Locke. Staring him right in the eyes. “Sleep with me, right here. We’ve been so close before, it’s always been ruined by something. Nothing is going to bother us now.”  
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Terra stood with Setzer, wanting so much to be back in Mobliz with her kids, but it would take a little while. Strago, Relm, and Interceptor were going back to Thamasa; Edgar and Sabin were going to Figaro; Mog and Umaro were going home to Narshe. Gau would go with Relm at first, but then he wanted to return to the Veldt. Cyan was going to Maranda, maybe find a place near Lola. Nobody knew where Celes and Locke wanted to go, and Setzer wanted to know.  
“Celes said something about living in Jidoor and being an opera singer, but I don’t know whether or not she was joking,” Terra said.  
“She didn’t seem to mind it the first time, nothing about that monster woman would surprise me,” Cyan said.  
“I know you don’t like her, but Celes is no monster. I’m not even fully human, and I worked with the Empire too. I slaughtered more people than she ever did. Am I a monster?” Terra asked.  
“You had no choice. There is a big difference. Murdering innocents amused her.”  
“She had no real choice either. It was what she was bred and trained to do. And for the record, it did not amuse her. Despite your beliefs, she has a heart and it hurt her. She hated it so much she was nearly executed for speaking out against what Kefka planned to do to Doma, so you of all people should have some compassion for her!” Terra yelled.  
“Interceptor, am I going to have to put a cone on you to get you to stop chewing on that bandage?” Relm asked, petting her dog.  
“I could go ask Locke where he wants to go. He’s been in for a while now, I bet he’s thought about it. And wherever he wants to go I’m sure Celes will follow, since she doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do with herself,” Terra said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be kind of slow to update, I have other things in the works.


	3. Chapter 3

Terra soon learned it had been a very idea to have gone downstairs. If Celes and Locke were going to be doing that, they should’ve locked the door. They hadn’t even noticed her, but she had seen everything. She went back upstairs and curled up in a ball on the deck.  
“She’s traumatized, that’s just great,” Setzer said. Edgar poked at Terra with a stick, trying to get her to sit back up, even though he worried she’d kick him again. “Your Majesty, I wouldn’t mess with her. She saw something she didn’t want to.”  
“You’d both love to see Celes naked,” Terra hissed under her breath.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
“You’re amazing,” Celes purred, still snuggled up against Locke.  
“Wow, from someone like you that’s a real compliment. I’ve had experience, though it’s been quite a while. I’ve only done it just a few times, with Rachel, but you’re different. And just between us, a lot better,” Locke said.   
“It’s pretty well all I knew besides fighting. It helped me keep my mind off of other things, like my crippling emotional pain. We still need to talk to Setzer about marrying us, but I don’t want to move,” Celes said.  
“I know, we’ll deal with it in a bit. Just rest now,” Locke said, rubbing her back.   
Celes was already asleep, so Locke decided to get up and go back upstairs. He had to talk to Setzer so they could go find Cid, make some wedding plans. He didn’t know what they’d wear, although Celes did still have her dress from the opera that would work if she wanted.  
The first thing Locke noticed when he got back upstairs was Edgar backed against a wall and Terra growling. If she still had her magic, she would’ve been sparking.  
“Okay, what’s going on here?” Locke asked.  
“What happened? You apparently didn’t close the door enough and Terra caught you and Celes in the act and it bothered her. And then Edgar said if Terra wants to learn more about what she saw, he would gladly show her. That didn’t go over well at all. We can’t get her to calm down,” Setzer said.  
Locke walked over to Terra. She glared at him, but she was not going to forget about Edgar. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect Celes was going to do anything like that and I forgot to lock the door,” he said.   
“This is not the first time I’ve caught Celes like that, I just don’t like seeing it,” Terra said. “I’m not mad at you, in fact I’m surprised you two haven’t done it before. I suppose I’m really more just jealous. You know, I still don’t understand love, and I wonder how anyone can like that,”  
“Because it feels good,” Edgar said.  
“…And then there’s King Horny over here who clearly wants to mate with me, and won’t leave me alone.”  
“Terra, be nice. Is it so wrong I like you? And be glad I do. Anybody else did what you did to me earlier, I’d have them locked away for quite a long time. It was just a dare, I wasn’t going to really do anything to you,” Edgar said.  
“I am going to be so happy when I’m back with my kids and away from you,” Terra hissed, but she backed off and dug around in her pack. She took out ribbons and a brush and started doing things with her hair and muttering to herself: “Maybe I should think about having this trimmed a bit. So hard to take care of sometimes…”  
“Hey Setzer, Celes and I have a request before you take anyone home. We want you to go pick up Cid. And then we want to get married. You’re the captain of this ship, you could legally do it. Celes and I want everyone here, and she wants to have Cid give her away since he’s the closest thing she’s ever had to family, and then we’re going to Jidoor. Build a house, live in peace,” Locke said.  
“I can’t believe you want to marry that woman. You could do a lot better,” Cyan said.  
“Not this again. I know you don’t like Celes, but you don’t know her like I do. She’s been through a lot, and she deserves a little happiness. And I love her,” Locke said.  
“We’ve been through this and through this, Cyan. Celes may have been nasty before but she’s is a good person now and she nearly got executed trying to stop Kefka from poisoning Doma,” Terra said.  
“I believe she’s always had a good heart, she has just been hurt too many times and doesn’t trust people easily,” Locke said.  
“Hmph, there is no point in arguing this anymore,” Cyan said.  
“Setzer doesn’t have to do it. We could go out to Figaro Castle and I could do it,” Edgar said.  
“I don’t think Celes wants to be any closer to South Figaro than she has to and we want it done as soon as possible so we can all get on with our lives. I know Terra wants to go home to her kids and her friend is going to have a baby soon and all and she wants to be there for her, and I know you want to go back to ruling Figaro. We all have homes,” Locke said.  
“Where is Celes anyway?” Terra asked.  
“She’s still downstairs, sound asleep. I wanted to set this up so she wouldn’t have to wait too long. You and Relm should go down later and help her get ready,” Locke said.  
“Helping a girl get ready for a wedding. That will be fun. I can’t wait until I grow up so I can get married,” Relm said.  
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Terra asked.  
“No, but I could always draw one!”  
“Yeah, sure, why not? Tell Celes I’ll do it later. We can fly out wherever you guys want,” Setzer said.


	4. Chapter 4

Terra and Relm were busy getting Celes ready below deck. Terra wanted to cut her hair short once they were done with Celes, so she kept trying to figure out what to do with all her ribbons. She had already tied one to Celes’ dress. Maybe she could just give the rest to her adopted daughters.  
“You’re so beautiful Celes. I hope I can get married someday,” Terra said.  
“Edgar seems to like you. I heard all that stuff he said to you earlier,” Relm said.  
“Don’t talk about that, don’t even remind me of that,” Terra hissed.  
“He doesn’t seem so bad. I dunno. I’m not interested in boys yet myself, so I’m not sure.”  
“I’m sure you’ll start noticing boys in no time. You’re around that age. I started to get interested in boys when I was your age,” Celes said.  
“You were around men all the time being in the army. Were there any other women at all besides you and Terra?” Relm asked.  
“Not really. Most of the soldiers had girlfriends, but we never saw any. I was only different because of my Magitek infusion. I suppose if I had ever had daughters they would’ve been forced into service too, but they didn’t really use a lot of women,” Celes said.  
“And besides, Terra. Edgar is a king. You don’t want to be a queen and have everything you want?” Relm asked.  
“Relm, I already told you I don’t want Edgar. I don’t care that he’s a king. He bothers me. It’s not that I hate him, don’t get me wrong, and I do think he’s handsome, and if we weren’t going to rebuild Mobliz I would take up his offer of moving my family to Castle Figaro once Katarin has her child and can travel again, but I don’t think he’s right for me,” Terra said.  
“Stop pestering her, Relm. If she doesn’t think Edgar is right for her that’s her decision. I guess I’m lucky. I had two soulmates, and I’m marrying one of them,” Celes said happily.  
“You seem to always get lucky, Celes,” Terra said.  
“You have got to be kidding me. I was abused, nearly executed, and lost so much. Though we’ve known each other for a long time, you do not know me. And there is much I’m not going to get into with you, especially with Relm here, and especially not when I’m going to get married in a few hours,” Celes said.  
Terra shut up, but Relm was not so wise. “Right, nearly executed. Locke came along just in time. You’re alive, aren’t you? You should be happy about that, at least. You don’t have fight and maybe be killed in action anymore either, I’d be happy about that. And Kefka isn’t going to bother anyone ever again. And you’re right, you’re getting married to Locke today and are going to be able to have a normal life. Terra is right, you are lucky,” the young girl said.  
“You have a point.”  
“We’re all lucky. We’re heroes, we saved the world from Kefka, even if it cost us so much,” Relm said.  
“Some of us more than others,” Terra whispered.  
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On deck, Locke was starting to get nervous himself. Yes, he loved Celes. Yes, he wanted to marry her and have a life with her. He didn’t know why he felt that way.  
“Shame Terra rejected you, brother. Could’ve been a double wedding,” Sabin told Edgar.  
“That’s not funny, it still hurts,” Edgar complained.  
Interceptor scratched at the door to the inside and whined, trying to get back to Relm, but nobody wanted to let him in. He would bite everyone who went near him (except for Gau, who bit him) when his new mistress wasn’t there to keep him from doing it. Especially since he was injured.  
“It’s your turn to let the dog in, I don’t want to get bit. I’m still injured,” Edgar told Sabin.  
“Nonsense, you were well enough to bother Terra again even after she kneed you in the groin,” Sabin shot back.  
“Don’t let that mongrel in there, not after what he did to the rug in the main room,” Setzer complained.  
“He just wants to be with his sister,” Strago said.  
“Fine, but if he does it again you’re cleaning it up.”  
“I can’t do it. I can’t let him in the room with Relm. I’m not supposed to see Celes until the wedding,” Locke said.  
“I do not wish to get bitten either,” Cyan said.  
“Hey wild boy, you’re the only one the dog won’t kill. Can you let him inside with Relm?” Edgar asked Gau. The boy nodded and opened the door, only to run in after the dog.  
Setzer closed the door. “Now that the kids are out of here, we can do whatever we want, and I do have some alcohol here somewhere…”  
“Not yet. I would love something to drink but I don’t want to make an idiot out of myself until after the wedding. I need to convince Terra I can behave myself,” Edgar said.  
“Brother, give up already. Terra has made it very clear she has no interest in you, and there are many other girls who would make much better queens,” Sabin said.  
“I don’t want them. I only want Terra. And she’s kidding herself, she’s attracted to me, I know she is. She’s just so innocent she doesn’t know how to express it,” Edgar said.  
“You’re the one who is kidding oneself.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Terra, don’t worry about it. You’re really pretty with your hair like that but not prettier than me today even with your hair cut,” Celes was saying. Terra had taken Celes’ sword and had sliced off several inches of her hair, and she was worried she’d outshine the bride.  
“I hope not. I can be more beautiful some other day, but today you get to be,” Terra said, trying to pick up all the strands. “Now what am I going to do with all this? Setzer will kill me if he finds my hair lying all over this room.”  
“Throw it off the side of the ship over a forest. Birds will take it like they do with all the fur this big guy sheds, make nice soft nests,” Relm suggested, hugging Interceptor, who didn’t seem to care. Gau was on a couch, licking himself like an animal giving itself a bath.  
“That’s a good idea,” Terra said, picking the last few hairs off the floor.  
“Knock, knock. Are you girls dressed? We’ve got Cid, he wants to see Celes beforehand,” Edgar said on the other side of the door.  
“Yeah, you can let him in!” Celes called.   
As soon as Cid entered, Celes hugged him. “Maybe we should leave her alone with Cid,” Terra said. Relm nodded and they left, Gau following again.  
“Hey Terra, you look really pretty with your hair like that,” Edgar said as they walked along.  
“Thanks, but do you think maybe I’m prettier than Celes? I don’t want that,” Terra asked.  
“Just between us, don’t tell anyone, but I think you’re always prettier than Celes. But that’s just me. We’ll just pretend I didn’t say that,” Edgar whispered in Terra’s ear. Gau and Relm weren’t paying attention, they were off in their own little kid world.  
Terra blushed, but then she said, “Please don’t do this right now. I don’t want focus on me.”   
“Don’t worry about it, Terra. It’s Locke we’re worried about. I had some clothes that he’s borrowing, not a tux but he said that’s okay, but I had to have Sabin guard him so he wouldn’t do anything like try to run while we’re landed. I know he loves Celes, but he’s nervous,” Edgar said.  
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“You’re so beautiful, Celes. You always deserved this kind of happiness,” Cid said, Celes still hugging him.  
“You say I’ve always been beautiful,” Celes said. She wasn’t unhappy, just making conversation.  
“You always are. I have known you your whole life. Even when you were little you were beautiful,” Cid said.  
“You have been the only family I’ve ever had, and I’m grateful you’re here,” Celes said.  
“I wouldn’t miss this for anything. I love you very much. I promised your mother I’d take care of you right before she died. She was very pretty too, you look a lot like her, except for your eyes. She had blue eyes, yes, but they were a different shade. More grey than deep blue like yours. Maybe that’s something from your father, whoever he was. I took care of her. Her name was Tanith and she was only fourteen, which was probably part of the reason she didn’t survive, and that’s why they were going to wait until Terra was eighteen to breed her. I tried to get her out of Vector so you would be born somewhere pleasant, but she wouldn’t leave. I was the first person to hold you, I delivered you. I hoped you would be a boy so they wouldn’t have another woman to use like a broodmare, but now I’m glad you turned out to be a girl. I never had a real daughter so I never thought I’d be able to give away a girl on her wedding,” Cid explained.  
“You’ve told me many times about my birth, Grandad,” Celes said politely.  
“I’m just so sorry I couldn’t help either of you. The empire decided she was so genetically superior to everyone else and they had to use her so she wasn’t allowed out of my lab at the Magitek Research facility. Her last act was to name you, I think she died during so,” Cid said.  
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she liked you. I know I love you.”  
“Do you have one of Terra’s ribbons tied to your dress?”  
“Yeah, she cut her hair short. Didn’t you see it? She looks really cute like that. Anyway, she’s giving away her ribbons.”  
“Well, it was nice to talk to you again. I believe it’s time we went up and got you married,” Cid said, linking his arm with Celes’.   
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll have lots of time to talk, every day. You’re going to come live with Locke and I in Jidoor,” Celes said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
“Oh my word…Terra, you are absolutely gorgeous!” Setzer exclaimed when Terra and Edgar emerged from inside.  
“She says she’s not as pretty as Celes, and she wants to make that perfectly clear,” Edgar said.  
“Not today, at least,” Terra added.  
“Are you ready, Locke? Shall we begin? Cid and Celes are right inside, waiting,” Edgar said.


	6. Chapter 6

“Grandpa, why do I have to be the flower girl? I want to be a bridesmaid! Celes said I should be a junior bridesmaid! Flower girl is for babies! I’m not a baby, I’m eleven! And it’s not like we have any flowers anyway!” Relm protested.  
“Locke suggested it, and I think you’re a little young to be a bridesmaid,” Strago said.  
“You can draw flowers,” Terra said.  
“Not right now. I don’t have my sketchpad and I have to take care of my—Interceptor, sit! I can’t be playing with you right now!” Relm yelled. “Do they really need a flower girl and ring bearer even? I don’t know if Gau even knows what he’s doing! He might think they’re candy!”  
“Gau not idiot! He know rings not candy! The shiny rocks not come off and no taste good,” Gau said.  
“You can make flowers out of my ribbons,” Terra said. She took one out and started trying to weave it into a flower shape.  
“It would be more effective to make confetti out of those ribbons!” Relm snapped.  
“Relm, knock it off. You can act up any other day. Please, just take Terra’s advice or something,” Celes said. She wanted to start her life, and having to deal with a whiny child and a clueless ex-Magitek Knight delayed it and that made her upset.  
“You know how to make flowers out of those, Terra?” Edgar asked.  
“Not really. I’m improvising,” Terra said, unraveling the ribbon and trying again. “I think this looks sort of like a rose.”  
“It’s fine, Terra. Flowers don’t really matter to me. I’m marrying the man I love and that’s all I care about,” Celes said.  
“Can someone go and get my sketchpad? I’d go get it myself but my damn dog won’t sit still and he has to be watched at all times after he went on the rug. Terra, no offense, but those flowers aren’t gonna work. There’s not enough of them,” Relm said. Interceptor whined and laid down, as though he actually knew what he had done and was ashamed.   
Terra nodded and went inside to find the sketchpad, since she knew Edgar was busy and would actually leave her alone. She wanted to be alone for the moment, though it would only be a short time. It wouldn’t be fair to Relm--or more importantly, Celes—if she took too long to get it. And besides, then someone would have to come “help” her and that would likely be Edgar.  
Thinking about Edgar made Terra stop and think for a moment. “I just wish I understood why he wants me so badly. He could have any other woman in the world. I just don’t get love, and I probably never will. Why did Leo have to be killed before he could tell me more?” She said to herself. She found the pad in the room and went back upstairs. “Here you go,” she said to Relm. The younger girl got right to drawing flowers, which flew across the deck like confetti.  
Relm walked down the front of the deck, flowers still falling behind her. Interceptor ate a few before Relm saw him. “Interceptor, come and stay with me. Stop eating the flowers, I don’t know that they’re good for dogs,” she said.  
Locke was already out front, waiting. Celes started walking down the aisle they had made, Cid holding her arm. She was absolutely beautiful. Terra wasn’t worried about her haircut outshining the bride anymore. Setzer was jealous he didn’t get Celes, but he had a job to perform so he couldn’t dwell on it. He’d just sulk once everyone had left.  
“Wow,” Edgar said.  
“You can say that again, brother,” Sabin said.  
“Kupo, I may be a Moogle, but even I think Celes is pretty. Locke is lucky…” Mog said.  
Celes heard all their praise, and she blushed. And that just made her look even prettier. She had never been so happy, and she had never had friends before. Sure, Leo liked her, he probably even loved her, but aside from him nobody else but Cid had ever really cared about her. These people (and assorted intelligent animals) were her friends, with the exception of Cyan they loved her. She was marrying a thief, but he was more than that. He was someone who had saved her life more than once at great risk to his own, someone she trusted with everything enough to share her deepest secrets with.  
Locke loved Celes with all his heart, but he was nervous. He didn’t know why. Everything was going so right, and Celes was so wonderful and he was so lucky. He sometimes had thought she was too good for him, being as she was about as genetically perfect as a person could get and so strong, but she had always told him that was nonsense. And Rachel had given him permission to love again right before she died, so he couldn’t use that as an excuse anymore.  
“You take good care of my granddaughter, you hear?” Cid told Locke before he moved off to a side.  
“I promise I will,” Locke said.  
“You can make sure he does, I already told you you’re coming to live with us,” Celes said.   
“Let’s begin,” Setzer said.   
“Are you ready, Celes? Let’s get our life started,” Locke said.


	7. Chapter 7

“Katttaaarrrriiinnn!” Terra yelled, running into her home. She was very worried about her friend, with the baby due any time and all. Celes and Locke’s wedding had been fun, but now that she was home, she was completely focused on her friend and her children. Edgar had told her if she wanted he could maybe find a book in the library somewhere about delivering babies, but she wanted to get home as soon as possible and not waste time looking. She couldn’t read anyway, so what good would it do?   
That reminded her. She’d have to find a tutor for her children and maybe for herself. She didn’t like being illiterate. She had just never had much of a chance to learn. She had meant to ask Edgar if there   
was anyone in Figaro who could help, but he hadn’t stopped bothering her long enough for her to. There was so much Terra didn’t know. She could count, but she couldn’t even write her own name.  
“Welcome home Mama Terra!” The kids said in unison.  
“Hello, my loves. Mama missed you all so much,” Terra said, lining up her kids for hugs. Once she was done she asked. “Where is Katarin? I need to see her.”  
“She’s in her room, but Mama…” Terra’s youngest daughter Ciara said.  
“All day she was crying and screaming, and locked herself in the back room. Duane wouldn’t let us in,” Terra’s son Malkus said.  
Terra knew what was going on, and the colour drained from her face. “Oh no! I shouldn’t have left! Oh gods, Katarin!” She cried, running to the back room. Duane would allow her in, she was sure of it.   
Duane was guarding the door. “Terra, welcome back, but please don’t go in. She’s resting right now, she even kicked me out,” he said.  
“Is she okay? Has she had the baby yet?” Terra asked frantically.  
“Katarin is fine, and no, she hasn’t had the baby yet. It will be soon, the contractions started earlier. She’s resting now while she can. She’ll need you later. You won’t believe how worried she was you weren’t here. She’ll be relieved when she sees you,” Duane said.  
“I’m so glad. I never forgot who I was saving the world for. Not just my children but all my friends,” Terra said, hugging two of her children to her. “Now let me through or I’m gonna bust the door down.”  
“Katarin is gonna be having a baby later, she needs to rest as long as she can!” Duane protested.  
“I know. I’m not gonna wake her up, just let me in there so when she does awaken I’m there for her,” Terra said.  
“She might not like seeing you in there when she wakes up.”  
“Trust me, she’s going to have a lot more to think about than any of that in a few hours. I don’t know much about babies, but I can probably assist.” Duane unlocked the door for Terra and she went in and sat down on one of the other beds.  
“I wish I could have a baby of my own. I have a lot of kids here, but I want a little Terra,” Terra said to herself. “Oh well, it’s just as well. I don’t know anything about love or marriage. Maybe I’ll just have to wait and see if Celes and Locke have kids and get them to let me babysit them.”  
“Welcome back Terra. I’m glad you’re here. And don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find someone someday,” Katarin said from where she was laying.  
“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Terra asked.  
Katarin gritted her teeth, a contraction hitting her. “No…please help me,” she moaned.  
“I don’t know how! I have no experience delivering babies, I don’t even really know how it happens! What am I supposed to do?” Terra asked frantically.  
“You don’t?! Oh God…get Duane. Maybe he’ll know what you could do!” Katarin cried.  
XX  
Terra was still a wreck. Katarin and her daughter were both healthy, and Duane was busy fawning over them, but Terra had felt completely useless. The actual process didn’t bother her much, she had never seen anything like it but she had seen lots of gore in her short life. She just hadn’t been able to do anything but sit there and watch.   
“Are you still going to be upset? Be glad I didn’t need much help and we’re fine. Girls can die like this,” Katarin said.  
“I don’t know anything, how have I been able to take care of the kids this long with how naïve I am is still a mystery,” Terra said.  
“You’re not naïve, you’re just young,” Duane said.  
“It’s not that. You know what you’re going to do with yourselves, you have a daughter now and all.I know nothing but magic, and even that’s gone. I can’t read or write even my own name, I have no clue what love is, and I’m not even human,” Terra said.  
“You can still learn how to read. You are going to help rebuild Mobliz with us, aren’t you? Maybe when one of your friends comes out to help, they can stay on to teach you afterwards. Or you could go out to wherever that king you know lives. I can tell he likes you, I’m sure he’d be glad to teach you how to read and write,” Katarin suggested.  
“Edgar? He probably would, but I don’t know if that is such a good idea. Yes, he does like me. A little too much for my tastes. I’d rather ask Cyan or Celes. I’m sure Cid taught her to read. Maybe I could even ask Cid himself,” Terra said.


	8. Chapter 8

Relm sat down and watched. She knew Interceptor would try to steal the ham she had cooked for dinner, and she had to catch him so she could stop it. For the last few weeks now her dog had been taking food off the table every time she’d turn her back. She never caught him doing it but she knew it was him. Two days ago he had walked across the painting she was working on while she went to go tell Strago something important and when she got back there were paw prints everywhere and the chicken she was preparing for dinner was gone.  
The Doberman walked in, sniffing around. He looked around, seeing Relm and whining. He jumped up to get the ham and Relm grabbed his collar. “No! Interceptor, bad dog! Stop taking the food!” She yelled. Interceptor barked and tried to get away. He would tear apart anyone else who did anything like that, but he’d never hurt Relm.  
The dog was too strong. He broke away and ran off with the ham. Relm chased after him, running all through Thamasa. The dog jumped behind a bush and Relm followed, never expecting what she would see behind it.  
Interceptor sat right behind the bush, laying right next to him was a female Doberman with a litter of four puppies probably only a few weeks old. Unlike Interceptor though, the female had floppy ears and her tail was undocked, meaning she was probably a stray. Relm sat down, squealing.   
“Aww, you’ve got a family. This is why you’ve been stealing all the food. Oh, they’re so cute!” Relm said, reaching for one of the puppies. The female dog growled at her, but Interceptor whined and she stopped, wagging her tail. “You told her I’m no threat, didn’t you Interceptor? Good doggy! Nice doggy, I’m not going to hurt your puppies.” Relm said, scooping up the squiggling puppies in her arms and starting back home. The two dogs followed her.   
Relm opened the door to her room and let the dogs in. Then she locked it and put the puppies down n her bed. “I’ll have to beg Grandpa to let me keep all of you. I don’t know how he’ll feel that I have six dogs in the house though. Hang on, I’ll have to get some food for you guys,” Relm said. The bitch climbed up onto the bed to tend to her puppies. Relm went to get them some food and a towel so the puppies wouldn’t mess up her bed.  
“Relm, why’re there all these muddy paw prints on the floor? And is that yipping I hear? Is there something I should know about?” Strago asked.  
“You’re going senile, Grandpa,” Relm said, carrying a towel and several cans of dog chow.  
“Why do you need that much dog food?”   
“I…developed a taste for it?”  
“Relm, open that door and show me what you’re hiding!”  
Relm sighed and opened the door. Strago did not seem pleased to see a room full of dogs.  
“I’ve got a whole family. Please let me keep them!” Relm pleaded.  
“Relm, no. We can’t have this many dogs in this house. Interceptor, fine. The female, fine as long as you get her fixed so she doesn’t have any more puppies, but you’re going to find homes for those puppies as soon as possible.” Strago said.  
“But they’re mine!”  
“I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to do something about the puppies. We’re going to go out and help rebuild Mobliz soon, you can try to give the puppies to our friends so it’s not like you have to dump them somewhere. They’re cute now, but they grow up and I’m not allowing six adult Dobermans in this house. Interceptor stealing the food is bad enough,” Strago said.  
“But he was just stealing the food to bring it to his girlfriend so she could take care of the puppies! And they’re not old enough to leave her!” Relm protested.  
“They’re almost old enough. You can start finding homes for them in about two weeks, that is all I want to hear about it,” Strago said.  
Relm sat down next to her puppies and pouted. She had no other family besides Strago and Interceptor, and now that she had a little family to take care of (at least as far as she was concerned), they were going to be taken away from her.  
“Okay, fine I’ll get rid of the puppies. And I’ll find a vet. I’m going to prove to you I can be a responsible pet owner for the two dogs I better get to keep. Which means Interceptor, you’re going to have to be neutered too!” Relm said. As if he understood her, Interceptor whined and walked off with his tail between his legs.


	9. Chapter 9

Terra and Celes were bored. The men were rebuilding and Locke didn’t want his wife doing construction much as she wanted to and Terra wasn’t strong enough.  
“Why doesn’t Locke want you lifting? You’re stronger than he is,” Terra asked.  
“It has nothing to do with the lifting. He thinks I’ll get too much sawdust in my lungs and won’t be able to sing anymore, how ridiculous is that? I would love to help out more,” Celes said.  
“Hello Terra! I brought fifty of the best builders from Figaro to help you!” Said Edgar, wearing a backpack, “and your friend Katarin said there might be something I could help you with personally, so here I am.”  
“Please don’t tell me you think you’re gonna be my tutor,” Terra said.  
“It’s okay Terra. Katarin and Locke and Edgar set this up a while ago. I’ll help too so I will make sure he doesn’t do anything to you,” Celes said.  
“You’d better,” Terra said.  
Edgar got out a pad of paper and a pencil. “You can call me Mister Figaro, okay? Mrs. Cole and I will teach you how to read in no time,” he said. “Do you know the alphabet?”  
“Not well. All the words are gibberish to me. I can’t even spell my own name. I know it starts with the letter that looks like a cross but I’m not sure what else,” Terra said.  
Edgar wrote something down on the pad: TARA, TERA, TERRA.  
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s that last one. I’ve seen that one written somewhere before, so it’s probably that one,” Terra said, already bored.  
“Oh, that’s adorable. You know what that means? That means ‘earth’,” Edgar said. Then he wrote down his own name: EDGAR RONI FIGARO. “That’s how you spell my name.”  
“I’m going to leave it up to Terra to spell my name once you teach her more. It’s not what you’d expect,” Celes said with a grin.  
“Um…It starts with that letter that looks like a snake…?” Terra began.  
“You could guess all night, but all I’m telling you right now is it doesn’t start with an ‘S’,” Celes said, smirking even more.  
“We’ll have to start with the basics. The alphabet. I’ll write them down, and then you do,” Edgar said. Terra nodded.  
Relm ran over, holding an adorable Doberman puppy. “Hey, any of you want this puppy? I managed to give the other ones away except for the female I convinced Grandpa to let me keep, and this is the last one I have. He said I have to find homes for them,” she said.  
“No thanks. It’s cute and all, but I’ve seen and been bitten enough by those things living with the Empire to last a lifetime,” Terra said.  
Celes held out her arms. “Maybe I can pretend it’s a baby,” she said. taking the puppy and cuddling it. “Is it a boy or a girl?”  
“It’s a male. There were four puppies and I only got one female in the litter, and I’m keeping her for myself,” Relm said. “I already managed to convince Duane and Katarin to take one, and Cyan took the other. It took a lot of talking to convince Grandpa to let me keep the female along with Interceptor and Primer---that’s what I named the mother—but he didn’t want six dogs in the house.”  
“I think I’m gonna name him Wagner. I don’t know how Locke will feel about him, but I’m sure he’ll love him too,” Celes said. She wrote her dog’s name down on the pad right under where Edgar had written his and Terra’s names. “That’s how you spell that. It’s a tricky word. Not everything is spelled like how it sounds,” she told Terra.


End file.
